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Fears over long haul Brexit challenge among buyers

Cutting costs pushed off the top among fears highlighted in a survey by the Business Travel Show.

A survey from the Business Travel show reveals that Brexit is the biggest challenge facing buyers next year, with problems predicted as far ahead as 2022.

Cost-cutting was knocked off the top spot of the list of incoming challenges by Brexit, which rose from fourth place.

Airbus UK travel manager Geoff Allwright even admitted that Brexit is the one thing that ‘keeps him awake at night’.

And the poll of 134 European buyers showed that 65% of travel managers don’t have a post-Brexit plan in place.

While pricing, the value of sterling, globalisation and technology also made the 2019 top ten, duty of care and traveller risk dropped out of the chart completely after taking the second slot in the last two years.

The buyers were also asked what they expect to be the biggest challenges facing them in three years’ time, with Brexit and cost-cutting still topping the table.

Visas came in at number seven, mirroring the general concern about the impact that Brexit will have on the free and easy movement of people across borders.

Brexit

Rising costs

NDC

Traveller safety

Travel alternatives

Consolidation

Visas

Climate change

Personalising travel

Sharing economy

Business Travel Show group event director David Chapple said: "Whether for or against the UK leaving the Europe Union, the last few months have been particularly frustrating and baffling for both sides leaving everyone possibly even more uncertain about any potential outcomes than they were a year or two ago."

When they were asked the follow-up question 'What will the biggest change in the way you buy/manage travel in the next 12 months be?; buyers responded with ‘no change’ t number one.2018